Former Spain PM Mariano Rajoy sparks backlash over ‘xenophobic’ France football comments

Former Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has come under fire in Spain and France after claiming the French national football team had "no French players" ahead of Tuesday's World Cup semi-final between the two countries.

Rajoy made the remark in an opinion article published by Spanish news website El Debate, prompting widespread criticism from political leaders on both sides of the border.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the comments as "xenophobic". In a post on X, Sánchez wrote: "There are those who still measure belonging by surname, place of birth, or skin colour. Others measure it by our roots in a country and our will to contribute to it."

"Spain belongs to those who love it and work for it. Not to those who shame it with xenophobic statements”, he added.

According to reports, French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez called the comments "absolutely unacceptable", while Anti-discrimination Minister Aurore Berge condemned what she described as "repeated racist outbursts".

France's embassy in Madrid also responded on social media, stating: "All the players of the French team are French. Of 26 players, 23 were born in France. The three who were born abroad are also French."

Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, said Rajoy's remarks carried an "intolerable undertone of racism".

The controversy comes as Spain and France prepare to meet in one of the most anticipated matches of the FIFA World Cup.